The present invention a refrigerator or an air-conditioner having a device for measuring an amount of refrigerant utilized in a refrigeration cycle and a method for indicating an amount of refrigerant in a refrigerator.
Conventional devices for measuring or judging an amount of refrigerant in a refrigeration cycle are disclosed by the publications of Japanese Utility Model Unexamined Publication No. 59-191571, of Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 52-45755 and of Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 54-63446.
In Japanese Utility Model Unexamined Publication No. 59-191571, a height of refrigerant liquid surface in a liquid receiver of a refrigeration cycle is measured to judge whether an amount of refrigerant is appropriate or not. In the publication of Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 52-45755, a pipe line connects a suitable height position of a liquid receiver of a refrigeration cycle to an inlet side of a compressor and a sight glass and a capillary tube are arranged on the pipe line so that when a refrigerant is in a vaporized condition in the sight glass, the refrigerant is judged insufficient. In Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 54-63446, it is judged whether an amount of refrigerant in a heat-pump type air conditioner is appropriate or not on the basis of pressures and temperatures at a pressure reducing device for heating and at an inlet of a compressor.
In the prior art as described above, an amount of the refrigerant can be judged to be excessive, appropriate or insufficient, but an excess or insufficient amount of the refrigerant is not calculated or indicated. Therefore, it is unclear how much the amount of the refrigerant is needed to be decreased or increased when the refrigerant is inserted into the air conditioner or the air conditioner is inspected. And an accuracy of a measured amount of refrigerant is not sufficient, because the height of refrigerant surface in the liquid receiver varies in accordance with an operating condition.